Life-saving device for ships and the like



LIFE- SAVING DEVICE FOR SHIPS AND THE LIKE Filed June 6, 1928 3Sheets-Sheet 1 -ad0o00co00000o \J: 6 INVENT I Jk CoZa rubz' 6 A TTORNEY3Oct. 1, 1929. GRABlCH 1,730,134

LIFE SAVING DEVICE FOR SHIPS AND THE LIKE Filed June 6, 1928 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 1,1929. N. GRABlCH Q 1,730,134 I LIFE SAVING DEVICEFOR SHIPS AND THE LIKE Filed June 6, 1928 -3 Sheets-Sheet 3Ufz'aokik'rab zfch A TTORNEYJ Patented Get. 1, 1929 STAES mean in NICOLAGRAIBIGH, OF WEST NEWV YORK, NEW JERSEY LIFE-SAVING DEVICE FOR SHIPS ANDTHE LIKE Application filed June 6, 1928. "Serial No. 283,335.

A further object of the invention is to provide a life saving device ofthe above type wherein the floating cabin section is provided with aplurality of compartments with the spaced doors of predeterminedcompartments having their free swinging edges detachably connectedtogether when in open position to provide partitions within the cabinsection.

More specifically, the novelty of the invention resides in the separableconnecting means between the floating cabin section and the ship.

l Vith the above and other objects in view that will appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in thenovel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed, showing the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevational-view of a ship equippedwith the life saving floating cabin section;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the ship in a listing positionwith the cabin ready to be disengaged therefrom;

Figure 3 is a perspective View of the cabin removed from the ship;

Figure 4 shows the sunken ship and the.

the boat to be separated therefrom for floatof adjacent compartments.

acter S comprises screw devices shown more Figure 9 is a detailsectional view taken on line 99 of Figure 8;

' Figures 10, 11 and 12 show perspective views of a submarine with theinvention applied thereto;

Figure 13 is a perspectiveview of a sunken submarine-with the separablecompartments floating above the same; and

Figure 1 i is a detail sectional view showing the screw connectionbetween the end walls Referring more in detail to the accompanyingdrawings, the invention is illustrated as applied to a surface ship anda submarine, the ship comprising a plurality of cabin sections, one ofwhich is designated by the numeral 1 being detachably connected to theship body. The detachable cabin section 1 is in the form of a float tocarry the passengers and crew of the ship.

The floating cabin comprises top and bottom walls 2 and 3 respectively,side walls 4 merging into'a curved rear wall while the side walls areconnected at their forward ends by a crossed forward end wall 5. Portholes or windows 6 are provided in the side walls 4, while entrancedoors 7 are provided in the end wall 5. It is to be understood that thedoors 7 comprise watertight closures to prevent the entrance of waterinto the floating cabin.

The connecting devices between the floatmg cabin l and the body of theship that is generally designated by the reference charclearly in Figure9. The side and end walls of the floating cabin 1 adjacent the bottom 7wall 3 thereof are provided with a plurality of aligned openings 8 thatregister with aligned openings 9 formed in flanges 9 inclosing the deckportion of the ship that sup ports the floating cabin. The screw devicespass through the aligned openings 8 and 9, the openings 9 being ofpolygonal formation to receive the correspondingly formed heads 11 uponthe screws 10 that freely pass through the aligned openings 8 and 9. Aretaining nut 12 is threaded on the inner end of each screw'10 and locksthe screw in position with the floating cabin retained on the ship body.

In order to render the screw connection between the floating cabin andship watertight, each screw 10 at the inner side of the cabin issurrounded by a thimble 13 that is bolted as at 14 to the inner Wall ofthe cabin While the free end of the thimble is open and externallythreaded as at 15. The thimble 13 is inclosed by the cap nut 16 that isinternally threaded for engagement with the threads 15 ofv the thimble,while a rubber or other gasket 17 is interposed between the cap nut 16and side Wall of the cabin to provide a watertight connection. When thefloating cabin is to be dis connected by the ship S, the cap nuts 16 arere moved and a suitable implement applied to the nuts 12 on the screws10 to remove them from the screws after which, the screws are forcedthrough the openings into the sea and the cap-nuts 16 replaced toprevent entrance of water through the thimble 13 that surrounds theopening 8. Although quite a large number of attaching screws 10 areprovided, the cabin may be quickly detached from the ship body asmembers of the crew are assigned for the operation of a predeterminednumber of screws. Similar connecting means attach the bottom wall 3 ofthe cabin to the deck wall 18 directly beneath the cabin, the deck Wall18 and the cabin being provided with the desired number of registeringopenings 19 and 19 through which the attaching screws pass. The bottomwall connection between the floating cabin and ship deck 18 is allowedto remain effective after the side connecting means are separated forholding the cabin in position during listing of the ship while sinkingas shown in Figure 2.

The top wall 2 of the floating cabin is provided with ship appurtenancescommon to that part of the ship occupied by the floating cabin and inthe present instance, there are illustrated on the top wall of saidfloating cabin a Winch 20 and corner anchoring cleats 21. Accommodationsare made in the top wall 2 of the floating cabin for the mounting ofinlet and exhaust air pipes 22 and 23 respectively, it being understoodthat the floating cabin may be equipped with oxygen tanks "and air pumpsto provide for a circulation of pure air. The top wall of the floatingcabin is further designed to support a signal post or mast 24 for flyinga signal flag or displaying a signal light.

When the cabin is anchored to the ship, entrance thereto may be gainedthrough the end doors 7 and also through an upwardly opening door 25 inthe bottom wall 3 of the cabin that communicates With the downwardlyopening door 26 in the deck 18 of the ship, while further entrance tothe cabin may be gained through the door 27 in the top wall 2 thereofthat swings either upwardly or downwardly. As the top and bottom wallsof the floatingcabin comprise flat surfaces or areas, it may happen thatthe floating cabin may rise to the surface of the water in an invertedcondition, and in such cases. the ventilating pipes 22 and 23 and alsothe signal mast 2aare mounted upon the inverted bottom wall 3, the saidbottom wall being constructed to accommodate the mounting of thisdevice. Also, it is intended to carry duplicate equipment within thefloating cabin so that in the event of injury to any of the externalappurtenances replacement thereof can be accomplished.

The floating cabin 1 is divided by appropriately positioned partitionsinto the desired number of compartments 28 constituting state rooms andstorage rooms for foods, water, accessories and equipment. Several ofthe compartments are provided with double doors so that the outer doorswhen opened for purposes now to appear will not permit the escape of thecompartment contents such as food, tools and the like. The compartmentsequipped with double doors have the outer doors 29 opened with themeeting edges thereof bolted together as at 30 to form floor areas orsupports when the cabin is in an inclined position as indicated inFigure 2 when the ship is listing or sinking.

in the form of the invention shown in Figures 10 to 14: the same isillustrated as applied to an undersea craft or submarine, the submarinebody 31 being formed of detachably connected compartments 32 providedwith top and bottom doors 33 as illustrated. The several compartments 32have openings in the bottom thereof that register with the open ings 341in the adjacent deck portion of the submarine body 31 with whichattaching screws previously described are associated, the upper deckportion of the submarine body as shown in Figure 13 having downwardlyopening doors 35 to permit access to the adjacent compartment 32. Theadjacent end walls of each compartment are detachably connected togetherby the form of screw shown in Figure 14 in which the double ended screw36 passes through registering openings 37 in the end Walls of thecompartment 32 with a nut 38 threaded on each end of the screw in therespective compartments. Each screw end is surrounded y a thimble 13 anda cap nut 16 as previously described. In disconnectingthe compartments32 from the submarine body, the bottom wall fastenings are firstdisengaged and the end wall fasten-' therein without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is 1. In a life saving device for ships and thelike, the combination with a ship body, of a floating cabin sectiondetachably connected to the ship body, the connection comprising matingapertured walls on the ship and cabin, and separable screw fastenerspassing through the wall apertures for retaining the cabin on the ship,the floating cabin being clivided into separate compartments closed byhinged doors and certain ones of said doors having their free swingingedges abutting and secured together when in open position to form across wall partition.

2. In a life saving device for ships and the like, the combination witha ship body, of a floating cabin section detachably connected to theship body, the connection comprising mating apertured walls on the shipand cabin, separable fasteners passing through the wall apertures forretaining the cabin on the ship, and water tight hoods overlying theseparable screw fasteners, the floating cabin being divided intoseparate compartments closed by hinged doors and certain ones of saiddoors having their free swinging edges abutting and secured togetherwhen in open position to form a cross wall partition.

3. In a life saving device for ships and the like, the combination witha ship body, of a floating cabin section detachably connected to theship body, the connection comprising mating apertured walls on the shipand cabin, separable screw fasteners passing through the wall aperturesfor retaining the cabin on the ship, the floating cabin being dividedinto separate compartments closed by hing-ed doors and certain ones ofsaid doors having their free swinging edges abutting and securedtogether when in open position to form a cross wall partition, entrancedoors in an end wall of the cabin at a point above the adjacent deckpart of the ship, and the top and bottom walls of the floating cabinhaving watertight doors.

at. In a life saving device for ships and the like, the combination witha ship body, of a floating cabin section detachably connected to theship body, the connection comprising mating apertured Walls on the shipand cabin, separable fasteners passing through the wall pertures forretaining the cabin on the ship, water tight hoods overlying theseparable screw fasteners, the floating cabin being divided intoseparate compartments closed by hinged doors and certain ones of saiddoors having their free swinging edges abutting and secured togetherwhen in open position to form a cross wall partition, entrance doors inan end wall of the cabin at a point above the adjacent deck part of theship, and the top and bottom walls of the floating cabin havingwatertight doors.

5. In a life saving device for ships and the like, the combination witha ship body, of a floating cabin section detachably connected to theship body, the connection comprising mating apertured walls on the shipand cabin, separable screw fasteners passing through the wall aperturesfor retaining the cabin on the ship, an externally threaded thimblesurrounding each screw and secured to the ad j acent wall of the cabin,and a cap nut threaded on the thimble overlying the open outer endthereof and having a water tight joint with the adjacent cabin wall.

6. In a life saving device for ships and the like, the combination witha ship body, of a floating cabin section detachably connected to theship body, the connection comprising mating apertured walls on the shipcabin, separable screw fasteners passing through the wall apertures forretaining the cabin on the ship, the floating cabin being divided intosep arate compartments closed by hinged doors and certain ones of saiddoors having their free swinging edges abutting and secured togetherwhen in open position to form a cross wall partition, entrance doors inan end wall of the cabin at a point above the adjacent deck part of theship, the top and bottom walls of the floating cabin having watertightdoors, and air ventilating equipment and signal means selectivelyassociated with either side of the cabin.

7. In a life saving device for ships and the like, the combination witha ship body, of a floating cabin section detachably connected to theship body, the connection comprising mating apertured walls on the shipand cabin, separable fasteners passing through the wall apertures forretaining the cabin on the ship, water tight hoods overlying theseparable screw fasteners, the floating cabin being divided intoseparate compartments closed by hinged doors and certain ones of saiddoors having their free swinging edges abutting and secured togetherwhen in open position to form a cross wall partition, entrance doors inan end wall of the cabin at a point above the adjacent deck part of theship, the top and bottom walls of the floating cabin having watertightdoors, and air ventilating equipment and signal means selectivelyassociated with either side of the cabin.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

NICOLA GRABICH.

